Practice Questions for Test 1

1
Practice Questions for Test 1

• Critical Thinking
• Fall 2005
• Schreiner University
• instructor Holloway

2
Multiple Choice Questions

• For the following questions select the best
  answer from the choices given.

3
1. According to the text, it is unreasonable to
say or believe that Relativism or Subjectivism
is true because

• a. it is untrue that everyone disagrees about
  the truth.
• b. philosophers have agreed for centuries that
  there can only be one truth.
• c. it is impossible to say or believe that
  Relativism or Subjectivism is true without
  contradicting oneself.
• d. no one really believes that someone elses
  truth is just as true as their own truth.

4
2. What obstacle to Critical Thinking arises out
of the tendency to cherish and defend those
beliefs most closely associated with ones
identity?

• a. Nationalism
• b. Egocentrism
• c. Relativism
• d. Autonomy

5
3. According to the text, by cultivating an
attitude of intellectual humility,

• a. we are better able to overcome the obstacles
  to Critical Thinking posed by the pitfalls of
  Egocentrism.
• b. it becomes reasonable to assume that at least
  some of our beliefs, especially those which go
  unexamined, are not true.
• c. we are potentially subject to intimidation by
  authority.
• d. all of the above

6
4. The Milgram experiments discussed in chapter
one of the text are intended to illustrate that

• a. only uneducated and gullible individuals are
  likely to abandon their own judgement to
  authority figures.
• b. any experiment that is cleverly devised can
  cause people to do crazy things that they
  otherwise would never have done.
• c. many normal intelligent people, when
  instructed by an authority will act against their
  better judgement.
• d. all of the above

7
5. According to the text, an assumption is

• a. a claim for which there is ample evidence.
• b. a claim which is taken to be true despite the
  fact that there is considerable evidence against
  it.
• c. a claim for which we have only a sparse
  amount of evidence.
• d. a claim which is taken to be true without
  argument.

8
6. According to the text, an issue is

• a. a flaw in ones character. For example, when
  someone says, Hes got issues, they mean to
  imply that the person in question has unresolved
  psychological difficulties.
• b. a topic about which reasonable people may
  differ. For example, thoughtful people disagree
  on the best answer to the question, Would
  vouchers improve education opportunities for
  lower-income families?
• c. a problem for which there is no one objective
  solution. For example, What is more delicious,
  pumpkin pie or apple strudel?
• d. a mere dispute caused by an undetected
  ambiguity in the usage of a particular term.

9
7. Identify the inferential assumption in the
following argument The cat must be hungry.
Hes scratching at the door.

• a. The cat is always hungry.
• b. When the cat scratches at the door, he is
  hungry.
• c. Cats should not be allowed to scratch at the
  door.
• d. Someone should feed the cat.

10
8. What class of issue is represented by the
following passage? Is capital punishment
consistent with civilized society?

• a. Factual issue
• b. Evaluative Issue
• c. Interpretive Issue
• d. Merely Verbal Dispute

11
9. In a recent case before a Pennsylvania Court,
the plaintiff and ex-boyfriend of a 22-year-old
woman attempted to prevent her from having an
abortion. Sylvia Law, a professor of law at New
York University, made the following comments on
the case The law on the question of fathers
or husbands capability to veto a womans ability
to have an abortion has always been that its
completely unconstitutional. She concludes by
noticing that the case was straightforward and
should have been rejected out of hand. What
inferential assumption does Professor Law make?
(source New York Times, 8/6/02)

• a. Regardless of what the Constitution says on
  the matter, an ex-boyfriend does not have the
  legal standing to prevent a woman from having an
  abortion.
• b. There are no constitutional grounds for
  courts to veto a womans ability to have an
  abortion.
• c. If it is unconstitutional to allow fathers or
  husbands to veto a womans ability to have an
  abortion, then it certainly is unconstitutional
  to allow an ex-boyfriend to veto a womans
  ability to have an abortion.
• d. none of the above

12
10. Identify the presupposition in the following
claim Our economy wont recover until at least
a majority of the corrupt corporate executives
are made to pay for their fraudulent treatment of
investors and employees.

• a. The economy cannot flourish if there are any
  corporate executives who get away with fraudulent
  treatment of investors and employees.
• b. In American society, corporate executives are
  never held responsible for their actions.
• c. There are presently a number of corrupt
  corporate executives who have not been made to
  pay for their fraudulent treatment of investors
  and employees.
• d. If all of the corrupt corporate executives
  are brought to justice, then the economy will
  definitely recover.

13
11. Recently, the government of Japan instituted
a registry under which every citizen would be
asigned an 11-digit number. This number would
serve as a citizens identification for purposes
of Internet access and other services. In
response to this registry one citizen objected,
Privacy should take priority over efficiency.
What presupposition is required to understand the
citizens claim?

• a. Though the registry may be efficient, it
  likely compromises privacy.
• b. The registry will not be efficient if it
  cannot secure citizens privacy.
• c. Privacy is more important than any other
  value.
• d. It is impossible to protect privacy with such
  a registry.

14
Subsidiary Issues

• Identify at least three subsidiary issues you see
  arising out of each issue given

15
Issues

• 12. Should animals be used in medical
  experimentation?
• 13. Should the medical use of marijuana be legal?
• 14. Should a student be required to check their
  university email account every school day?
• 15. Is the Bowl Championship Series the best way
  to determine the annual national collegiate
  football champion?
• 16. What is the average temperature of The Hill
  Country?
• 17. Should grade reports be sent to parents of
  university students?

16
Definitions

• Supply definitions to the following terms

17
Terms

• 18. Relativism
• 19. Subjectivism
• 20. Truth
• 21. Evaluative issue
• 22. Interpretive issue
• 23. Claim
• 24. Assumption
• 25. Critical thinking